Two Texas 18-year-old men have been accused of treating Walmart customers like some kind of animal to be hunted. Police say the twosome blew darts at shoppers, including an elderly woman on a motorized scooter and a 10-year-old boy. [More]
Retail Services
Walmart To Give Nearly 40% Of Employees Pay Increases Over The Next Year
By 2.19.15
Just before Christmas Walmart announced it would raise the base pay for employees at 1,434 stores because of state minimum wage hikes. Today, the company announced plans to change the way it pays and trains not only those employees but nearly 500,000 more across the U.S. [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Have A Case For Your 7-Year-Old iPhone
By 2.17.15
The Raiders of the Lost Walmart are a band of brave retail explorers who comb the world’s big-box stores in search of retail antiquities at comically high prices. They carefully excavate clearance racks in order to find the most ancient pieces of technology available. In their latest report from the field, the Raiders found more ancient antivirus software, and a case for iPhones that may actually be collectibles by now. [More]
Costco Says Dumping American Express Was About “Saving Money For Customers”
By 2.13.15
Yesterday, American Express announced the impending end of its monogamous relationship with Costco, meaning that not only will AmEx cards no longer be accepted at the popular warehouse store but that co-branded AmEx/Costco credit cards will be useless after March 31, 2016. Now Costco is breaking its silence on the split, saying it was all done in the best interest of Costco shoppers. [More]
Police Charge Head-Butting Walmart Customer With Assault
By 2.13.15
Although the Walmart tax worker who was head-butted by a shopper at first declined to press charges against the woman, police confirmed that after a trip to the dentist for some broken teeth, assault charges have been filed. [More]
Target Owes Minnesota-Based Businesses $3.8M Over Failed Canadian Stores
By 2.13.15
Target Corporation isn’t the only company losing money by closing its Canadian division. The retailer owes nearly $3.8 million to more than 60 businesses in Minnesota. [More]
National Grid Cuts Off Mall’s Electricity For Apparent Non-Payment
By 2.13.15
Rotterdam Square Mall, outside of Schenectady, NY, is not doing so well. It keeps losing stores, as dying malls tend to do, with its Gap and Macy’s shutting down early this year. Yesterday, something unusual happened when the mall’s power went out…not because of weather or supply issues, but allegedly because of an unpaid bill. [More]
Walmart Sues Texas Over Law Banning Publicly Traded Companies From Selling Liquor
By 2.13.15
Depending on the state you live in, buying booze and beer can be a bit tricky. South Carolina and Kentucky previously outlawed the sale of alcohol on Election Day, while last year, the state of Michigan pondered a law that would classify a “pint” of beer as 16-ounces or less. But it’s a long-running law in Texas banning the sale of liquor (but not beer or wine) at publicly traded companies that raised the ire of Walmart. Now the nation’s largest retailer is suing the state to gain the ability to sell the spirits. [More]
3 Things Costco Shoppers Need To Know About Split From American Express
By 2.13.15
Yesterday, American Express confirmed rumors that it would be ending its exclusive partnership with Costco at the end of March 2016. While that is more than a year away, Costco members and AmEx cardholders already have some important questions. [More]
Free Amazon, Roku Streaming Devices If You Prepay For 3 Months Of Sling TV
By 2.12.15
While some people have touted the recently launched Sling TV service as an option for cord-cutters, it’s really better-targeted to consumers who don’t have cable but want a few more live-TV viewing options. That’s why the service is now pushing deals that will allow some Sling subscribers to get free or deeply discounted streaming devices. [More]
Best Buy Introduces Wedding Registries
By 2.12.15
A few years ago, I thought it was hilarious when friends included a video game console and games on their wedding registry at Walmart. Was it, though? Most households would get more use out of a PS4 than a set of fancy china or a crystal punch bowl. That’s why it makes sense that Best Buy now offers wedding registries. [More]
Costco To Stop Accepting American Express In 2016
By 2.12.15
It’s been rumored for months that Costco and American Express would eventually end their exclusive relationship, allowing members of the warehouse club to use other cards. Now AmEx has confirmed that the deal will indeed come to an end in early 2016. [More]
Did Amazon’s Two-Day Shipping Suffer Over The Holidays? Survey Says Yes
By 2.11.15
One of the perks of paying $99/year to be an Amazon Prime member is the free two-day standard shipping on millions of items sold on the e-tailers’ site. But according to a new survey, being a Prime member didn’t always prove to be beneficial when it came to on-time deliveries last holiday season. [More]
Walmart Spending $270M On Canadian Expansion; Plans To Build 29 Supercenters In The Frozen North
By 2.11.15
Early this year, Walmart announced the opening of 11 new supercenters in Canada in the first month of the year, but that retail expansion pales in comparison to the company’s latest venture. The big box store now plans to invest $270.1 million with our neighbors to the north and open 29 additional stores. [More]
Target Agrees To Pay $3.9M To Settle False-Advertising Lawsuit
By 2.11.15
It seems some of that infamously fuzzy Target math finally caught up with the retailer, as the company has agreed to pay $3.9 million to settle a false-advertising lawsuit brought by prosecutors in California. [More]
Target Shuts Down Their Video Streaming Service That Apparently Exists
By 2.10.15
Target Ticket began in the fall of 2013. It was meant to compete with streaming services like Amazon, Redbox streaming, Vudu, and Flixster. Now Target Ticket is shutting down. Members need not worry that they’ll lose the content they’ve bought or earned: films that users have purchased access to will transfer over to another competing service, CinemaNow. [More]
Broken Skylights Turn A Dead Mall Into A Pastoral Snowscape
By 2.10.15 — Updated: 3.14.17
In Thailand, when an abandoned mall lost its roof, it filled with water, which attracted mosquito larvae, and then neighbors stocked it with fish. In Akron, Ohio, an abandoned mall lost its glass skylights, which meant that in the winter the building filled with snow. Here is your post-apocalyptic winter wonderland. [More]
Video: Customer Head Butts Walmart Tax Worker During Argument In Store
By 2.10.15
No matter how unhappy you are with someone or something, violence is never the answer, people. A Walmart customer seen on video head-butting a Walmart employee during an argument, setting off an all out brawl, has been told by police not to come back to the store. [More]
